we do mostly lawn stuff now...not inflatables, though...i just don't like dh up on a ladder with ice and snow...

have our pre-lit tree, 17 stockings on the bannister (no fireplace, and wouldn't have the room, lol) flags (in and out) on our electric f/p in the bedroom do have "private stockings", and a small tree shaped from bulbs just for it...

Our tree is up and decorated. We don't have a very big spot for it and when DH came home with the 5 footer, the grandson said it wasn't big enough. We did the exchange and almost didn't get it in the door. We had to trim 6" off the top and the branches still bend at the ceiling, no treetopper this year, and I can't get close enough to the top to put up ornaments. So the bottom 2'section is pretty bare (to save the ornaments from the dogs who go past at warp speed to get outside) and the top 1' next to the ceiling. He looked at the tree and said next year we can get a smaller tree and he won't say anything. The deck garland, lights and wreaths are on, the jacuzzi room roof line is outlined, and the two inflatables are "resting" on the lawn, but they look cute at night. The snowman collection is on display and the manger scene is up, as well as the various Advent calendars. There just isn't room enough in the house to display all our stuff, so I rotate it as much as I can year to year. Told my grandson if it were just his grampa and me, there would be a picture of a tree on the wall. He promptly went into his room and got the Harry Potter poster frame for me to use. I had to laugh and tell him it would be years before I did that and not to worry, I had plenty of frames! He's been a really good kid and today (if it doesn't snow), we'll go decorate his mom's grave for Christmas.

Just a tree. I live alone and don't really have plans for anyone to visit, so most likely I will be the only person to see me tree. I love it though!

So far, NONE! I always wait till my daughters birthday, it is on the 16th.

But usually I put something out daily starting with the first Sunday of Advent.

I am way behind, but the painting is done, and I will move everything back in to the dining room this afternoon.

If I still feel up to it, I will dig out the first Christmas stuff box, and pull something out.

Moni

Nothing at all this year, no tree, no decorations. We cancelled Christmas this year because of home remodeling.

On December 27th complete demolition of our entryway, my home office, kitchen, dining area and hall begins. We will start packing this weekend. No sense making an even bigger mess by dragging all the holiday stuff out.

On a normal year, I'm pretty moderate in my decorations and tree. A wreath on the front door, lights on the house, a tree, some garland and a few decorative items.

Jodi-

We cancelled Christmas due to forecolosure. Christmas is in my heart though!

There have been times that my decorating began and ended with the taking out of the 2 Christmas (oh, I apologize) HOLIDAY theme coffee mugs and setting them on top of the microwave. "There, all done" I would say. I haven't taken them out yet this year. There is just DH and I and he isn't into Christmas much and even worse he is recuperating from surgery with more surgery to be done next week. I can no longer do the work to make it happen, so the mugs will probably be it again this year. We have each other, and that is what is most important. On Christmas (sorry again) we will sit together among our personal treasures listening to some good music and enjoy a good cuppa hot chocolate in those mugs, so it is ok!

Last year I was in a huge depression and didn't do ANYTHING. Didn't even send out Christmas cards. Husband put up the tree and even ended up decorating it when it became obvious I wasn't going to do it. This year feels much better.

Outside ... when there's a break in the weather, DH will string lights along the front of the house. He should've done it at Thanksgiving when it was close to 70 degrees outside. Now that it's 20 degrees with snow & ice, he's been forbidden to even attempt it. I have a big plastic Santa for the front door stoop (nobody comes in the front door); and a tall metal Santa for the front garden.

Inside ... the tree is up and the mantel on our electric fireplace is decorated. Christmas cards are hanging down the hallway upstairs. I have more decorations to put out, and hope to do them this weekend. I have Snowmen accessories for the bathroom, snowmen and Santa pot holders & towels for the kitchen. I have a lovely nativity scene, but probably won't put it out this year because the big puppies would undoubtedly reach out and grab someone important and run off with him/her. Oh, and I was thinking about a garland across the entertainment center. That would look nice.

That's what I've spent the morning doing. Minus the tree. This years tree will be a Norfolk Island Pine that we've had a few yrs. and sits on our deck during warmer weather. It was DH's idea and it's okay w/ me. I've got Santas, trees and angels I display at Christmas. I didn't really try to collect them, but when I taught, they were good gifts. I hung some stockings (just for decorations) on the mantle. I have a wreath on the front door and one on an inside door. I do any and all of this b/c of the grandkids. I personally think the best part of Christmas is the midnight candle light service at the Methodist church here in Tyler that I grew up in. Now that my parents are gone it's almost more than I can bear to go to it. Haven't been in a few years, but it was the warmest, most uplifting thing I did during the holidays.

I used to decorate more inside the house but over the years I have done less and less. Now I just put some things on the tables in the family room and hang up the tree and decorate it. This all takes less than an hour. I also put a wreath on the front door and a Christmas doormat and call it good.

I guess I'm the WILD women here...I've decorated 10 trees...an 8 foot one in the living room and smaller 3 footers in each bedroom and Den, and one footers in the bathrooms. down from my normal 12...not putting up my silver tree this year...can't find a good spot for it...the light trolls came over the summer and I've ended up replacing all the lights...I decorate the foyer entryways to the dining and living area, tables in the foyer...two mantels, wreaths on the outside windows, swag on the mailbox, silk poinsettias in planters by the front door, garland around the front door and porch area, candles on each inside window that faces front, chair covers on my kitchen and dining chairs, my village and train, ...mmm I think thats it...I started Tuesday and will be done by tonight...this is the fastest I've ever done it...it took me awhile to find places for stuff as we've only been our house for two years, but now that everything has a place it went pretty quick. I'm sure I'll stop or at least slow down one of these years...but I do LOOOVEEE CHRISTMAS and the reason for the season!! I sure hope my kids and their wives love Christmas...cause their getting all my stuff one of these years..

So far the only thing decorated is my office and that is because a staff member did it. My house has NOTHING out and there isn't going to be much done between now and Christmas. Hubby is having carpal tunnel surgery in January, he is in such pain right now there is no way he can do it. And I'm working at my business by day and at the jewelry store most evenings and weekends.

We talked about it this week, I think I may go get a 4 foot tree for on top of the stereo but that is about it. I used to do 2 large trees plus decorate every room in the house....I feel like a slouch.

I have a lot of stuff.

Mantle - 100's of little bits and pieces like cardboard sparkly houses, wooden house, Hallmark houses, figures, trees, etc. Some things are scale others are bigger or smaller. Just something fun to look at but a pain to put up. LOL Garland and poinsettia lights in front of the mantle.

My tree is huge and I have a ton of decorations on it, plus about 8 stings of vintage beads. Not a theme tree by any means. My tree is filled with decorations that bring back lots of memories when I decorate it.

I decorate at the base of mantle too - wooden snowman, ceramic Santa boot, big Santa doll, poinsettia.

I have all the Christmas 101 Dalmations figures from McDonalds so I put that up on the buffet in the living room and I will add lights to that.

My Miracle of 34th Street poster stays out all year round but this year I put it over my mantle instead of the usual wreath. I hung the big wreath on the front door this year.

I have a wooden painted street sign that says "We Believe in Santa" and I have that hanging above the buffet.

I usually hang a decorated artificial pine garland draped in candy beaded garland over my front window but this year I might move it to the kitchen because I need some extra decor in there.

I have a some nice Santa figurines so I put one ontop of the fridge, not sure where I am going to put the other one yet. I have the Hallmark stuffe snowman and snow dog ontop of my tv but it needs batteries.

In my kitchen window I have a beaded sun catcher that is in the shape of a Christmas tree. I love it. I have a big basket of red, gold, and white poinsettia flowers on my kitchen table.

I put Christmas bulbs that have lost their hangers in a crystal basket at the end of the hall.

I put a small Christmas tree in my bedroom and decorate it with my Mom's favourite decorations and some that were made for my Mom when my 33 niece was little.

I have a tiny brass decorated trunk that goes on the top of my tv and it contains pieces of frankinscense, myrh and gold. My sister Lizzie brought it back for me from Saudi Arabia.

I have a beautiful Christmas doll, all decked out in vevlvet fur trimmed clothes and long brown ringlets that sits on a tricycle on my small table in the living room. She has the most beautiful face. Her little tricycle has a basket carrier on the handlebars and is filled with decorated greenery. From the back her little coat has a red bow and a jingle bell hanging from it. LOL

I decorate my table with a nice holiday table cloth and my Christmas Royal Albert Christmas china cups and saucers, plates and serving pieces. I just need the tea pot and tiered plate to complete my collection. I have Christmas snowman mugs and nutcracker drinking glasses.

I tie red bows outside on my mailbox and railings. I used to drape a pine garland around the front door outside and decoate it with lights but not this year.

I have an extra string of poinsettia lights that I usually string over the kitchen window above my sink but I don't have curtains on that window yet so may not put them up.

I have to find something for my bathroom, maybe some Christmas potpourie. I have some small Christmas hand towels I received in a swap so I will put those out too.

My Mom used to hang foil garland in the living room over the mantle and from each 4 corners of the kitchen so it meets in the middle. I still have the garland but I won't be doing that. It was nice with her decor at the time.

I've got so much stuff up in the attic, I've got to find places to display it.

Even my cats have Christmas porcelain bowls. LOL

LOL My Christmas decor is cluttered, eclectic, makes the house cozy and holds lots of memories.

I am in the process right now of putting on my tree lights. I can't avoid it any longer. Waaaa, I get frustrated putting on the lighs. I just might close my eyes and toss them on and not be such a perfectionist this year. LOL

Anyone is free to stop by for a visit.

Anne

Outside--quite a lot. DH made a lot of our decorations. He has wooden figures that he hangs in the windows (stockings, candy canes, trees) and 2 huge candy canes that he hangs on the house. These are all painted and wired with installed sockets and c-7 or c-9 bulbs. The windows and doors are outlined with multi-colored blinking C-9's. The bushes get mini-lights (white on the pussywillow and broom, multi on the other bushes). We have 3 large gingerbread boys (homemade) that sit on the lawn. 2 large plastic 'lampposts' at the base of our front steps--but the light part is actually a huge lollipop. The gas lamp has stained glass panels in it that I made years ago, and is wrapped with red and white rope lights so it looks like a candy stick (and it has a big red bow). We also have a little train that sits on the lawn. Know there is more, but just can't think of it. Oh, front door has a tree ornament (instead of a wreath) that lights up. In sidelights, DH puts some cute M & M lights we found someplace and we have a couple of strings that look like 'Pizza Hut' mints that he usually finds a place for each year.

Inside. Too early for decorating inside. I like to wait till the week before Christmas. My living room is already green and wine, so I don't need a lot of decorations to make it look Christmasy. I'll bring up the 2 trees in the basement (one for the Lr, one for the Dr)--I leave them decorated, so that takes no time. I'll add the stockings and a few little knick knacks.

Gosh Liz...make the rest of us look bad, would ya? haha...

We don't do much... lights along the roof, a flashing reindeer (flashes with lights, not a naughty reindeer), a wreath on the front door, a santa windsock and one of those stick in the ground posts that says something. Inside we have the tree, sometimes I run garland and lights on the entertainment center and I have a few Christmas-y items I put out along with the stockings.

msmarion: sorry that the holidays find you in your situation. I wish you and yours well and hope there's a reversal of fortunes in the not so distant future.